


Cos I No Longer Know Where Home Is

by Weather



Category: Hannibal (TV) RPF
Genre: Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-31
Updated: 2013-07-31
Packaged: 2017-12-22 00:52:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/906962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weather/pseuds/Weather
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Title taken from <em>Homesick</em> by Kings of Convenience<br/>Original Prompt: Hugh takes care of a sick-as-hell Mads during a rainy day.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Cos I No Longer Know Where Home Is

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from _Homesick_ by Kings of Convenience  
>  Original Prompt: Hugh takes care of a sick-as-hell Mads during a rainy day.

Hugh glances at the text that Mads' has sent him again. "Not coming over. Sick & don't want to get everyone else sick. M x"

Mads had been quieter than usual between takes yesterday but Hugh hadn't realized he was that bad. He's got the day off anyway and as he was supposed to be running lines with Mads, Claire and Cyrus have already made other plans. He thinks briefly about going for a run but the pissing rain outside quickly settles that; he's not that dedicated. He mulls it over while he's eating breakfast and decides, screw it. He's going over to Mads'. 

Decision made, he texts Mads, then swings by a grocery store to pick a few things up.

-

He can hear Mads coughing through the front door and when it swings open he pulls a face at the sight that greets him. Mads is wearing the rattiest pair of sweats that Hugh has ever seen and an over-sized sweatshirt with at least three holes in it. It's such a change from how he'd looked last night, the height of composure as Hannibal. Mads' hair flops forward as he starts coughing again and he waves Hugh in, shutting the door after him and trailing him down the corridor to the living room after Hugh kicks off his shoes and dumps his soaked jacket.

Usually Mads is a genial host and effusive with his welcomes, today he sinks down onto the couch without a word. Elbows on his knees, he buries his head in his hands and sneezes three times. 

"Here," Hugh offers him the box of kleenex from the bag of supplies that he picked up on his way over. Mads nods his thanks, tears open the box and takes a handful. Blowing his nose leads to another bout of coughing that leaves him red-faced and teary-eyed. 

After he's done, he looks up at Hugh who's hovering like he's about to start thumping Mads on the back and says, "Hi."

Hugh laughs. "How're you feeling?"

He groans. "Horrible." He stares at Hugh blearily. "I don't want to get you sick."

"I think it's more likely a kid in daycare will be my downfall," he says. "Can I?" He asks hesitantly holding out his hand. Mads nods and Hugh pushes his his hair back and tests Mads' forehead with the back of his hand. It's not boiling but clearly hotter than it should be. Mads' eyes are shut and it's a few moments before Hugh consciously realizes that having finished testing Mads' temperature with the back of his hand he's now stroking the top of his head. 

Mads looks content, eyes still shut and looking more relaxed than he did when Hugh arrived. 

Hugh snatches his hand back because he's not really sure what's come over him. Mads' eyes blink open sleepily and to try to cover his haste Hugh says, "Do you have a thermometer? It feels like you have a temperature but I'm not really sure. Did you take something for it? I've got some stuff in the bag. I wasn't sure what you would have so I... What?" 

Mads is staring at him like he's gone completely mad. He tilts his head, opens his mouth to say something then changes his mind. Shaking his head he levers himself off the couch and makes his way into the kitchen. "Tea?"

"Oh, um, yes please," says Hugh. 

Mads fixes them both tea and they settle down at the kitchen table, Mad's _Hannibal_ scripts scattered across the table. "Do you want to run lines?" he asks.

Hugh shrugs. "If you're feeling up to it." He frowns. "I don't want Bryan screaming at me because you've lost your voice."

Mads laughs. "I promise we'll stop before that."

-

They have an hour's clear run at their scenes, the only distraction the constant rattle of the rain against the windows. Mads settles into Hannibal with an ease that makes Hugh slightly jealous. He finds Will exhausting today, the constant edginess, the high-wire act of trying to ensure he's sympathetic and balancing that with Will's all-encompassing empathy. 

Their progress slows as Mads starts coughing again. Hugh can see him trying to hold it back whenever they're reading through a scene, his cheeks reddening and the way his chest tightens with the effort. They make it all the way through their scenes once. Normally they'd go at them again, tweaking and discussing as they went but as they're working through their first scene again Mads stops mid-sentence and offers a rushed, "Sorry," before turning away and sneezing twice. It's followed by coughing that takes a few moments to subside and has Mads rubbing his chest and grimacing. 

"Do you want to carry on?" Hugh asks.

Mads nods. "Let's keep going."

But the spell is broken and they only manage another couple of lines each before Mads starts coughing again. They continue as before although they don't get much further before he sneezes again. 

"Fuck, sorry." Mads retreats to the living room and returns with the tissues Hugh brought. Hugh flips his script shut as Mads blows his nose and embarks on another round of coughing. 

Mads apologizes again and then seeing Hugh's closed script says, "Don't you want to carry on? I'm okay for a bit longer I think."

Hugh gets up and rests his hand against Mad's forehead again. It's definitely hotter than it was before. "I think we should stop. You sound awful and you definitely have a fever. Come on, bed!" he adds decisively.

Mads smirks at Hugh's attempt to boss him around but complies when Hugh places a hand on his shoulder and lets Hugh guide him into the bedroom without any resistance. He all but faceplants onto the bed and has to wriggle about to allow Hugh to pull the covers over him. Hugh disappears for a bit but returns with the box of tissues, a glass of water and a couple of pills. 

"To help bring your temperature down," says Hugh when Mads raises an eyebrow at him. "Not negotiable I'm afraid." Mads grumbles but raises himself up from the pillows and swallows the pills with a gulp of water. He sticks his tongue out at Hugh, waggling it about to show he's swallowed the pills. "Very funny. Do you want anything else?" He walks over to the windows, drawing the curtains shut and blocking out the persistent rain.

Mads flops back on to the pillows, considers this for a moment then says quietly with a sigh, "Hanne. The kids."

"Oh," says Hugh. "Oh Mads." He sits down on the bed next to him and squeezes his leg through the covers. 

Mads coughs and makes a snuffling noise. "Sorry, I always get homesick when I'm ill." He sighs again. 

"Don't be silly" Hugh clambers over him onto the other side of the bed. "I hate it when I'm away from Claire and Cyrus too. But you've got me here."

Mads rolls over to face him. "You'll get sick."

Hugh shrugs. "You can repay the favour later."

" 'm not sure what Claire would-" he breaks off to cough, "-would have to say about me climbing into bed with you."

Hugh laughs. "As long as you didn't hog the duvet I'm sure she'd be fine with it."

Mads squints at him as though he can't work out where the joke is, then turns away sneezing again. He groans grabbing a few tissues from the box and blows his nose. When he falls back against the pillows Hugh scoots closer to him and strokes the hair back from his forehead again. Between the steady rhythm of the rain outside, the pills and Hugh's hand brushing across his forehead it's not long before Mads feels his eyes drift shut. 

"Feel better," he hears Hugh whisper before he falls asleep.


End file.
